This is one weird argument. However, that ain't gonna stop me from getting involved.

Really just wanted to point out that Robocop definitely fits Joseph Campbell's definition of a "hero". So, I guess the question is whether or not he's super.

Of course Alex Murphy is a hero. He is a hero in the same sense as John McClane or Douglas Quaid. Is he a superhero akin to the likes of Batman and Captain America? Fuck no. Absolutely not.

I am still trying to wrap my head around maybrick's assertion of Robocop "donning a "mask" to protect his "face" and identity" as if Murphy has some sort of choice to go out and fight crime every night.

The only reason the topic turned so weird was because maybrick's generalizations were so preposterous that the only way KBG could demonstrate how ludicrous he was sounding was to bring up the Harlem Globetrotters. Maybrick was contradicting himself four times over at that point and wasn't even agreeing with his own archetype of what a superhero was.

The dc character Cyborg doesn't have the ability to take off his suit any more than Robocop does. It doesn't make him any less a superhero. Robocop doesn't technically "don" a mask, but his helmet still serves the same purpose. Duh.

The range of superheroes is wide open. Aside from the A listers you have Moon Knight. You have Hawkeye. You have the goddamned Incredible Hulk which I personally wouldn't call a hero but he gets lumped in with the rest all the same. Even the Frankenstein Monster is a DC Superhero! So why not Robocop? What about him makes him so different? He has powers and he fights crime. By the simplest definition of the word that makes him a superhero.

“The satire element of RoboCop is, I think, needed today,” he tells me. “That kind of social, aggressive satire I haven’t seen done well in movies lately. And it’s almost like the politics and violence in the world is asking for this: 'Someone please make some satire now!' So we’re going to keep that edge.”

So that answers that question. Unless of course he changed his mind since & the final film plays different.

Just for fun I searched for Robocop in the Superhero database. Which harbors all superheros, villians, superpowers, etc...

And it came up empty. Judd Dredd, Punisher, Darkman, etc... were all in there. (now to be clear, this isn't the end all to the answer, but its a reliable go to source)

But interestingly I looked up G.I. Joe & Sgt Rock, and they didn't show up either. Imho, I kinda put Robocop in their category. It's strange because on one hand the original Robocop wasn't really a superhero, but in part 2 & 3 he did sorta lean that way. But there is a small part that bugs me, that he isn't a superhero because he is essentially a cop. He's just doing his job.

And that is extremely fair, Baggio. Logical, without the need for condescension. Thank you. I will say though that many of the heroes that we're taught to honor in life, soldiers, firemen, doctors, and policemen, are just doing their job. Yes, Robocop is doing his job. But he isn't "just" a cop. He's even referred to in the film as "the Super Cop". Is it really that illogical to connect "Super Cop" with "Super Hero"?

Edit: the super hero database doesn't appear to be infallible. The Tick isn't on there, either.

He doesnt fit the typical superhero mold, but my buddy who was into comics used to draw Robocop all the time. Eventually I started identifying the character as sa comic book hero. So maybe its semantics or a matter of opinion. Speaking to that point, how would you geniuses define Kick Ass? "Vigilante Hero" "Comic Book Hero". Whatever. Its like when people try to distinguish goth music from post-punk, deathrock, etc. You just want bang their heads together. Blow your "yeah, but" out your asses.

And that is extremely fair, Baggio. Logical, without the need for condescension. Thank you. I will say though that many of the heroes that we're taught to honor in life, soldiers, firemen, doctors, and policemen, are just doing their job. Yes, Robocop is doing his job. But he isn't "just" a cop. He's even referred to in the film as "the Super Cop". Is it really that illogical to connect "Super Cop" with "Super Hero"?

Edit: the super hero database doesn't appear to be infallible. The Tick isn't on there, either.

I just checked, The Tick is in there (well Tick is, but it's gotta be the same person). It just doesn't have any info/bio yet. And while Robocop is not in the database he is indeed part of the Marvel Universe. So it's quite confusing.

Here's a question. Would Steve Austin (Six Million Dollar Man) be considered a superhero? Because if he is then Robocop has to be imo. They both have similar stories (in terms of the rebuilding parts) Obviously Steve wasn't that far gone like Murphy. But he too was rebuilt & worked to fight crime.

I would say that ALL of these characters (Kick Ass, Tick, Steve Austin, judge dredd, even V, or the Harlem Globetrotters when they play superheroes. Sorry, no Rick Grimes) are superheroes in their respective universes. Different universes have different rules.